Does bulimia nervosa cause low potassium?
Low levels of potassium (hypokalemia) associated with Bulimia Nervosa are found particularly in patients who are at lower weights, vomit, abuse laxatives, or both. Potassium plays an important role in the electrochemical gradients involved in nerve and muscle activity.
What is the most serious consequence of bulimia?
Low potassium level, or hypokalemia, is the most serious consequence of bulimia because it causes heart arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), cardiomyopathy (weakening heart), muscle weakness that can border on paralysis, and tetany (involuntary muscle contractions)2.
Do you have electrolyte issues with bulimia?
Electrolyte Issues From Bulimia – Knowing the Warning Signs. Electrolyte imbalances are typically common in those with bulimia. Up to 49% of individuals with severe symptomatology of bulimia have imbalances such as sodium and potassium [1]. Those who purge are also at risk for hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, and hypochloremia.
Is hypokalemia common in bulimics?
Though serious, hypokalemia is uncommon in bulimics (about 4.6%), but those with the condition usually have low-body weight and purge with self-induced vomiting, laxatives, or both. Low blood levels of calcium, called hypocalcemia, can occur from long-term use of diuretics to purge.
Does bulimia cause hypokalemia?
The typical electrolyte abnormalities associated with bulimia are hypokalemia and metabolic acidosis.
What lab is increased in bulimia?
Endocrine studies in patients with bulimia nervosa may exhibit the following abnormal findings: Decreased follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), leuteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol levels. Prolactin levels: Studies have documented both increased and decreased basal serum prolactin in association with bulimia nervosa.
What are 3 complications of bulimia?
ComplicationsNegative self-esteem and problems with relationships and social functioning.Dehydration, which can lead to major medical problems, such as kidney failure.Heart problems, such as an irregular heartbeat or heart failure.Severe tooth decay and gum disease.Absent or irregular periods in females.More items...•
Does bulimia affect your blood?
Bulimia can cause low blood pressure, a weak pulse, and anemia. Vomiting can be a violent event. The sheer force of it can even cause the blood vessels in your eyes to rupture.
Can bulimia show up in blood tests?
There aren't any laboratory tests to specifically diagnose bulimia. Your healthcare provider may order tests to see how bulimia has affected your health. These tests include: Blood test.
What symptom is a primary characteristic of bulimia?
It is characterized by uncontrolled episodes of overeating (called bingeing). This is followed by purging by self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, and other methods. Bulimia typically affects females and starts during the teenage years. But, it can also affect males.
What are 3 warning signs of bulimia?
What are the Warning Signs of Bulimia?Episodes of binge eating.Self-induced vomiting.Smelling like vomit.Misuse of laxatives and diuretics.Complaining about body image.Expressing guilt or shame about eating.Depression.Irritability.More items...•
When is bulimia considered severe?
Symptoms of Severe Bulimia Nervosa (BN) Severe bulimia nervosa (BN) is defined as 8–13 binge/purge episodes per week), and extreme bulimia nervosa involves 14 or more binge/purge episodes per week. Unhealthy preoccupation with weight loss, body weight and shape; significant body image distortions.
What can bulimia lead to?
Bulimia can permanently damage your stomach and intestines, causing other problems like constipation, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome. Hormonal problems. Reproductive issues, including irregular periods, missed periods, and fertility problems are common side effects when you have bulimia.
How long does it take for bulimia to damage your heart?
Bulimia was associated with 21.93 (95% CI, 9.29-51.74) times the risk of myocardial infarction at 2 years and 14.13 (95% CI, 6.02-33.18) times the risk at 5 years.
What is bulimia jaw?
Bulimia nervosa (BN) is an eating disorder that affects many parts of the body, including the jaw. BN involves episodes of purging, often as self-induced vomiting, which puts stress on the jaw and can cause facial pain.
Can your heart recover after bulimia?
It causes irreversible damage to cardiac cells leading to cardiomyopathy with ventricular dysfunction, congestive heart failure, ventricular arrhythmias, and even sudden cardiac death.
What tests are used to diagnose bulimia?
DiagnosisTalk to you about your eating habits, weight-loss methods and physical symptoms.Do a physical exam.Request blood and urine tests.Request a test that can identify problems with your heart (electrocardiogram)Perform a psychological evaluation, including a discussion of your attitude toward your body and weight.More items...•
What labs are abnormal with anorexia?
A Comparison of Features of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia NervosaFeaturesAnorexia nervosaLaboratory abnormalitiesHypoglycemia, leukopenia, elevated liver enzymes, euthyroid sick syndrome (low TSH level, normal T3, T4 levels)ECG findingsLow voltage; prolonged QT interval, bradycardia2 more rows•Jan 15, 2003
Can bulimia cause low white blood count?
Health Consequences of Bulimia It can lead to electrolyte and chemical imbalances which can lead to severe medical consequences such as: Damage to the brain, heart, and other vital organs. Increased risk of illness due to decreased white blood cell count.
What is the diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa?
Bulimia Nervosa Eating large amounts of food within a 2-hour period and sense of lack of control. Recurring inappropriate compensatory behavior (vomiting, laxatives, exercise, diet pills) Binge eating and compensatory behaviors occur, on average, at least once a week for three months.
What is the effect of bulimia on the body?
The Effects of Bulimia on Your Body. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that’s described as a destructive pattern of eating and purging to control weight. Two of the most prominent behaviors of bulimia are bingeing (eating a lot of food) and purging (self-induced vomiting), but bulimia encompasses so much more than that.
Why do people with bulimia keep secrets?
Having to keep secrets contributes to the cycle of stress and anxiety. Over time, guilt can build up from keeping secrets from your friends and loved ones.
What electrolytes go missing when you vomit?
The electrolytes that tend to go missing from constant vomiting are potassium, magnesium, and sodium. Bulimia can cause low blood pressure, a weak pulse, and anemia. Vomiting can be a violent event. The sheer force of it can even cause the blood vessels in your eyes to rupture.
What system is bulimia in?
The integumentary system includes your hair, skin, and nails. These parts of your body aren’t immune to the effects of bulimia, either. Dehydration from frequent vomiting means that your body doesn’t have enough water. In turn, your hair can become dry and frizzy. You may even experience hair loss.
Does bulimia cause weight loss?
Unlike anorexia, another type of eating disorder, bulimia doesn’t necessarily have symptoms of significant weight loss. But the effects are still very real.
Is bulimia a mental illness?
Central nervous system (mental and emotional health) While characterized as an eating disorder, bulimia is also a mental health disorder that causes a cycle of health concerns. You may experience depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Moodiness and irritability may occur due to lack of vitamins or behaviors ...
Can bulimia be a life threatening condition?
It can also take a tremendous emotional toll and lead to severe, life-threatening conditions. When you think of bulimia, you’re most likely to think of bingeing and purging. However, these aren’t the only symptoms of the disorder. Bulimia can present itself through the following symptoms:
What are the electrolytes in bulimia?
Electrolyte imbalances are typically common in those with bulimia. Up to 49% of individuals with severe symptomatology of bulimia have imbalances such as sodium and potassium [1]. Those who purge are also at risk for hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, and hypochloremia.
Why do I have a hard time bowel movement?
Disturbances in the bowel can lead to hard, slow, or infrequent bowel movements, caused by the colon’s microvilli thinning and abnormalities in the cytoplasmic organelles, known as cathartic colon syndrome.
How do laxatives affect the GI system?
Laxatives affect both the gastrointestinal system (GI) and the body’s electrolyte balances. GI disturbances effects include melanosis coli, cathartic color, and functional dysregulation or disturbance. Disturbances in the bowel can lead to hard, slow, or infrequent bowel movements, caused by the colon’s microvilli thinning and abnormalities in ...
Why does saliva decrease when you purge?
Usually, with purging, a person’s saliva will begin to decrease due to the act of purging and acidity from regurgitated foods, which can lead to the bilateral parotid glands being enlarged, or appeared swollen in the face and cheeks.
Can hypokalemia cause edema?
Hypokalemia can lead to the slowing of the intestine and its function, which can lead to edema. Chronic diarrhea can create imbalances in hypochloremic, hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis. Use of diuretics typically show decreased levels of sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate [3].
Does bulimia affect the heart?
Bulimia Nervosa comes with varied symptoms, all which can lead to physical complications that can affect the teeth, esophagus, reproductive cycle, hormones, electrolyte balances and heart.
Why is it important to be vigilant about the detection of bulimia in young patients with the aforementioned medical?
Mehler concludes, In summary, because the patient with bulimia nervosa may go unrecognized in healthcare settings and because their symptoms are relatively longstanding, it is important to be vigilant about the detection of bulimia in young patients with the aforementioned medical complications. Most of the medical complications ...
Is binge eating common in diabetes?
Disordered eating is unfortunately rather common among individuals with type 1 diabetes . Binge eating and insulin omission (insulin purging) occur in 30-50% and 30-40% of women, respectively. Naturally, these behaviours result in poor metabolic control.
Is ipecac toxic to skeletal muscle?
Ipecac has five alkaloid constituents (the major ones are emetine and cephaeline), all of which are toxic to cardiac and skeletal muscle. A 30-mL bottle of ipecac contains 21 mg of emetine. Because of ipecac’s long half-life (56 h), repeated ingestions can result in potentially fatal cumulative dose of emetine, variously reported to be between 500 and 1,200 mg. An irreversible cardiomyopathy with resultant symptoms of congestive heart failure, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden death may follow.
Is diuretic use more common than laxatives?
Diuretic abuse is less frequent than laxative use among BN patients, and like laxative abuse, it is also largely an ineffective method of purging. Most of the weight loss that results from diuretic use is water loss which can lead to dehydration and electrolyte disturbance.
Is bulimia nervosa treatable?
In summary, because the patient with bulimia nervosa may go unrecognized in healthcare settings and because their symptoms are relatively longstanding, it is important to be vigilant about the detection of bulimia in young patients with the aforementioned medical complications. Most of the medical complications of bulimia nervosa are readily treatable, but do require familiarity with the therapeutic interventions, to maximize their efficacy and help facilitate recovery.
What is the role of potassium in bulimia?
Low levels of potassium (hypokalemia) associated with Bulimia Nervosa are found particularly in patients who are at lower weights, vomit, abuse laxatives, or both. Potassium plays an important role in the electrochemical gradients involved in nerve and muscle activity. Specifically, low levels of potassium affect the gradient of polarization ...
What is the best way to assess bulimia nervosa?
Research suggests that best practice would include thoughtful regular assessment of cardiovascular function and risk in patients with bulimia nervosa typically including a screening EKG, monitoring of electrolytes, physical exam and frequent assessment of vital signs. More intensive medical monitoring is likely warranted in a subset of patients with increased risk.
What is the condition where you eat and not gain weight?
Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by recurrent binge-eating episodes followed by behaviors to prevent weight gain (purging). Those affected may develop habits of self-induced vomiting, excessive laxative use, or even misuse diuretics.
What happens if you vomit a lot?
Repeated episodes of vomiting can result in dehydration, which will affect cardiovascular function leading to hypotension, postural pulse and blood pressure changes, and tachycardia. Changes in serum electrolytes are seen related to excessive gastrointestinal and renal (kidney) losses. Low serum levels of potassium (hypokalemia), ...
Does bulimia nervosa cause high heart rate?
Patients with bulimia nervosa show high heart rate stress reactivity. Patients with both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa display abnormal sympathetic-vagal control of their heart rate variability as measured by a tilt-table test with impaired sympathetic activation and prominent vagal activity.
Does potassium cause repolarization?
Specifically, low levels of potassium affect the gradient of polarization of the cardiac muscle cells delaying repolarization (prolonged QTC), which puts patients at risk for new arrhythmias. Patients may manifest symptomatically with palpitations and syncope (fainting). The most severe, and fatal form of arrhythmia from hypokalemia is ...
Is EKG necessary for bulimia?
While these cardiac complications are known, it is far less clear how aggressively practitioners should screen for complications with bulimia or monitor for ongoing risk after initial diagnosis. A screening Electrocardiogram (EKG) is recommended and may be helpful in patients with frequent purging, electrolyte abnormalities or low body weight.
Pathophysiology
Function
Example
- For example, muscle contraction requires the right levels of calcium, sodium, and potassium. When levels are out of whack, muscles go weak, contract too severely, or stop working altogether. The heart, essentially a mighty muscle, can also be compromised some times irreparably by imbalanced electrolytes, including:
Causes
- Electrolyte levels are determined by hydration how much water is in the body and levels of water can be precariously unstable in the body of someone whos regularly vomiting and/or abusing diuretics and laxatives. Have you ever had a muscle aches, cramps, or twitches during or after a nasty stomach flew? It was probably the result of dehydration, which threw off electrolytes, whic…
Treatment
- You likely began to feel better, drank some water, and rebalanced the electrolytes no problem. Prolonged and chronic dehydration from purging, on the hand, can cause critical health issues. What method a person with bulimia uses to purge and how often he/she does it determines the type and severity of electrolyte imbalance, which is revealed in blood tests1.
Symptoms
- Low potassium level, or hypokalemia, is the most serious consequence of bulimia because it causes heart arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), cardiomyopathy (weakening heart), muscle weakness that can border on paralysis, and tetany (involuntary muscle contractions)2. The condition can lead to a sudden, devastating death, as in the case of Katie Stre...
Mechanism of action
- This electrolyte, a form of carbon dioxide, helps to buffer the acids that build up in a persons body as usual byproducts of metabolism. For example, when a persons muscles are working they produce lactic acid as a byproduct of energy formation7. When theres not enough bicarbonate, pH levels can increase in the bodys tissue causing metabolic alkalosis.
Prognosis
- Its important to realize the danger of electrolyte imbalance but also to know the condition doesnt occur in the vast majority of people with bulimia. So although severe hypokalemia in an otherwise healthy young person specifically suggests bulimia, most people who purge dont develop electrolyte abnormalities (Mehler, 2004).
Diagnosis
- Therefore, screening for electrolyte imbalances is not an effective means to detect purging or diagnose bulimia.
Reviews
- Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on June 19th, 2015 Published on EatingDisorderHope.com